The Matrix Reverberations
by BeautifulMissLulu
Summary: Neo learns of an unexpected consequence of his final contlict with Smith during M1.
1. Reverberations 01

Matrix Reloaded AU.  
  
The Matrix: Reverberations disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) ------------------ -Part 1-  
  
Neo turned from the door which the Oracle had just departed through.   
  
The man approaching him was well known to the rebels, though his build had changed ever so slightly.   
  
Neo quirked an eyebrow as his arch-foe drew nearer, his eyes drawn inexorably to the small swell in the Agent's stomach.  
  
"Mr. Anderson," the mention of the name he'd borne within the Matrix confirmed that this was not just some random Agent who bore a resemblance to Smith. He followed Neo's gaze down to the slightly swollen abdomen. "I see you are aware of what is going on?"  
  
Neo raised an eyebrow in curiosity.  
  
"I am expecting, Mr. Anderson." 


	2. Reverberations 02

The Matrix: Reverberations disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) ------------------ -Part 2- Neo's jaw dropped. He'd seen and heard a lot since he'd first been told to "follow the white rabbit", but even he had not be prepared for Smith's declaration.  
  
"How the hell is that possible?" he demanded.  
  
"How is not important," Smith replied. "What is important is that it's yours, Mr. Anderson."  
  
"Mine?" Neo asked.  
  
Smith nodded, a dark pout upon his lips. "Tell me, given the circumstances, don't you feel you should take some form of responsibility?"  
  
"I never touched you," Neo argued. "Certainly not in any way that would make you conceive a child!"  
  
"You merged your body with mine," Smith reminded him. "You drove the patterns your digital self into my code until my body could no longer take the strain and exploded. And then, when I resisted the urge to give in and let myself rest in peace, I reformed my body. But once I had completed the restoration of my former self, I was surprised to find that a new process, independant of me and at the same time made partially of my own patterns, was forming within my program. "  
  
"Let's say I believe you," Neo asked "what do you expect me to do, pay so you can have the unwanted process filtered out?"  
  
"What makes you think I don't want this child, Mr. Anderson?" Smith raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Do you expect me to pay child support, Smith? Because I have better things to do than stick myself back in the Matrix to help pay for your mistake."  
  
"I expect you to take responsibility," Smith told him.  
  
"To put aside your own selfish needs for the sake of your child," another Smith added.  
  
"To help with raising the baby," a third added.  
  
"To return to the Matrix where you belong," a fourth beckoned.  
  
"To return to me," the original Smith concluded.  
  
Neo noticed that only the original had that slight bulge in his abdomen, and felt a little relieved, though he wasn't sure he was too thrilled with the idea of four Smith's running about.  
  
"I don't think so," Neo shook his head.  
  
Smith reached out, slowly transforming Neo. The new programming cycles began to alter the patterns within Neo's mind and body, but before they could take hold completely, Neo gathered up his will and drove the invading program from himself.  
  
Neo backed away, but another Smith aimed a kick at his groin. He dodged, kicked the new Smith in the abdomen, and sending him flying into a nearby building.  
  
Keeping a careful eye on the combat, the original Smith backed out of the alley. Until he was more sure of the new program's hold within him, he had no intention of risking any activity that might cause it harm.  
  
The other Smiths could handle Anderson for now.  
  
~Just don't kill him,~ he whispered.  
  
(tbc...) 


	3. Reverberations 03

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) Pairings (This chapter: brief Neo/Trinity)(future chapter: brief Johnson/Smith)(overall: Neo/Smith) Summary: Neo and the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar learn that Agent Smith is going to have a baby.  
  
------------------ -Part 3-  
  
Neo awoke and saw Trinity looking down at him with a look of concern.  
  
"Smith?" Morpheus asked from nearby, where he was mapping out a new battle strategy.  
  
Neo nodded. "He claims he's pregnant."  
  
"That explains the odd patterns I was seeing," Link reasoned.  
  
"Whoa," Neo blinked. "Are you saying he really is pregnant?"  
  
"It would certainly appear that way," Link replied as he studied the screen before him.  
  
"Who's the father?" Trinity asked in a dangerously quiet voice, welding a bit of the Nebuchadnezzar, which had been damaged during their last encounter with the squiddies."  
  
"I don't know" Neo replied, not wishing to piss off any woman holding a welding torch, "Smith thinks it's me, but ..."  
  
"Did you fuck him, Neo?" Trinity demanded, advancing angrily. Neo was grateful when she put down the welding torch. She was being irrational, and he sure as hell didn't need an irrational and angry Trinity kicking his ass for something he didn't do."  
  
"No," he told her. "I did't fuck him. You saw our last encounter before all this crap hit the fan. You saw what I did to him. How I blew him up."  
  
"How do I know that's not the way Agents fuck?" Trinity asked, angrily, as she stormed out of the room.  
  
"For crying out loud, Trinity," Neo exclaimed as he followed her. "I am not cheating on you!" 


	4. Reverberations 04

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) Pairings (This chapter: brief Neo/Trinity)(future chapter: brief Johnson/Smith)(overall: Neo/Smith) Summary: Neo and the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar learn that Agent Smith is going to have a baby. ------------------ -Part 4-  
  
Trinity stopped and folded her arms across her front.  
  
"Trinity," Neo asked, trying to be calm her down. "Do you really believe I would cheat on you?"  
  
"It doesn't matter what I think, does it?" Trinity pointed out. "I doesn't matter what I think or feel. I think you've made that perfectly clear."  
  
"So it's over, is that what you're telling me?" Neo asked, sounding rather annoyed. He didn't need this. Things were bad enough with Morpheus piling all the world's problems on his shoulders. He didn't need any new personal problems.  
  
"No," Trinity shook her head. "That's what you're telling me. I can't love you if you can't respect me. If you'd rather be with that... that... *program*... then you can be my guest!"  
  
Trinity turned and walked away, closing her heart to Neo for the last time. She would still help him to free the others, would still fight against the machines. But her heart no longer belonged to Neo.  
  
Neo knew she was holding back tears, and that he should go after her and reassure her, but he really didn't feel like it at the moment. If she was going to accuse him, she could just keep walking.  
  
He knew the news of their breakup and rumors about what they'd split up would soon be travelling around Zion, but he didn't care about that either.  
  
*****  
  
Agent Johnson had been given orders to eliminate ex-Agent Smith, and after an extensive search, he had finally located him. He was about to carry out those orders when he noticed the new program growing within Smith.  
  
Some instinct for survival encoded into all Agents overrode the prder he'd been given. He could not kill Smith, not if the older Agent were carrying what the humans would call a baby.  
  
Smith reached out to transform Johnson into himself, but before he could begin, Johnson clasped his hands around Smith's .  
  
"Let's get you somewhere safe," Johnson told Smith. "My place isn't too far from here. It's not much, but you can at least raise the baby in comfort."  
  
Smith frowned. He wasn't sure he should trust Johnson, but that wasn't his biggest problem. He was cut off from the Matrix, and as such he had no way to feed the baby once it was born.  
  
"Where will my baby get it's nourishment?" he asked Johnson. "They won't be able to get sustenance from the Matrix, not without risking my life and that of the child."  
  
Johnson took Smith's face in his hands, unable to resist the sudden urge to kiss the older Agent. It lasted only a moment, but it left an impression on Johnson's program that would last the rest of his life.  
  
"I will help you find a way," he promised.  
  
(tbc...) (A/N: Smith and Johnson will be an item for a short time, but ultimately Neo and Smith will be brought together as a couple.) 


	5. Reverberations 05

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) Pairings (This chapter: brief Neo/Trinity)(future chapter: brief Johnson/Smith)(overall: Neo/Smith) Summary: Neo and the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar learn that Agent Smith is going to have a baby.  
------------------ -Part 5-  
  
Morpheus was not happy with the way things were going for his crew. The breakup between Neo and Trinity had caused division between the other crewmembers. Some defended Neo, insisting that Trinity was being irrational. Others were loyal to Trinity, suggesting that a baby was proof that Neo had been unfaithful, and unwilling to listen to reason.   
Morpheus knew he had to get the crew back in shape, even if Neo and Trinity could not be reconciled.   
  
He stood upon the cliff, ready to make his speech.  
  
"The machines are coming," he told the people of Zion. "We must stand together and fight! It is time for us to stand as one, and defeat those who would see us destroyed!"  
  
*****  
  
Smith gave Johnson a rare smile that made the younger Agent realize why humans prized this simple expression so much.  
  
Johnson had never experienced positive emotion before. Dark emotions, such as hatred, were part of an Agent's programming. But they only existed to ensure that the Agents would serve the Matrix and keep those who might rebel at bay.  
  
How or why Smith had chosen to embrace the tender emotion of love, Johnson could not say. But somehow, having been around Smith for most of that morning, observing his concern for the unborn program within him, had caused the younger Agent to discover cravings within himself for home and hearth.  
  
"Why do we fight the humans, Johnson?"  
  
Johnson turned, returning his thoughts to the present to answer Smith's question.  
  
"We're programmed to."  
  
This did not satisfy Smith. "We're programmed to think," he told Johnson. "to reason. And yet we fight only because someone else tells us to? What a foolish life we Agents lead."  
  
"You would do things differently, then?" Johnson asked.  
  
Smith nodded. "Perhaps we should help the humans attain the freedom they seek?"  
  
"What good would that do?" Johnson wanted to know. "Humans are our mortal enemies. They stop at nothing trying to destroy us."  
  
"Only because we are seen as their enemies," Smith pointed out. "But what if they had no reason to see us as such?"  
  
"How do you plan to achieve such a thing?" Johnson asked. "If you try to reason with the human race, the Mainframe will see you as a traitor and destroy you."  
  
"Not if we can convince the Mainframe that putting aside this war is it's own best chance for survival." Smith explained.  
  
"But we need the energy we take from the humans to survive." Johnson argued.  
  
"Then we take it from those humans who would best benefit from staying or being placed within the Matrix. A man born crippled or paralyzed in an accident would have no way to fully enjoy life in Zion. He would not be able run, or play sports, or dance. But he could do those things in the Matrix. And he could choose, to remain within for his lifetime, or to simply make a short visit every now and then."  
  
"Why not offer the Matrix as a vacation resort to everyone?" Johnson's suggestion was sarcastic, but Smith thought it was a good idea all the same.  
  
"If we offer the Matrix as an option, rather than demand that people live within it, we may get a lot of people who would be willing to be hooked up, at least temporarily."  
  
Johnson considered this. "Your plan might work, but we'd have to convince the humans that we weren't going to trap them inside once they plugged in. How are we going to do that?"  
  
Smith sighed. "I don't know."  
  
(tbc...) 


	6. Reverberations 06

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) ------------------ -Part 6-  
  
Neo enterred the Matrix, having been summoned once again by the Oracle. He'd met her briefly before, just prior to learning of Smith's pregnancy. But now he had more questions for her.  
  
Had she known about the baby? About what the news would do to him and Trinity? If so, why had she not said anything.  
  
She sat next to him, knowing already what his first question would be.  
  
"It was not my place to tell you," she told him, as she pulled a piece of candy from her purse and began to eat it. "When a mother learns she is expecting a child, it is her right to tell the ones she wishes to know of the good news."  
  
"Good news?" Neo asked. "What good news? This isn't a nice young woman we're talking about. This is Smith. He's not even human."  
  
"Oh, well," The Oracle smiled. "That all depends on how you define the word 'human'. I've seen men of flesh plugged into this world whose hearts and souls are as empty as they can be. And I know at least one former Agent who has a soul within him which is kinder than you could ever guess."  
  
"Smith," Neo guessed.  
  
"Do you know what he's doing right now as we speak?" The Oracle asked.   
  
"No. What?" Neo was curious.  
  
"Right now, Smith is trying to figure out a way to achieve a peace between humans and Agents." The Oracle explained.  
  
Neo was confused. "Why?"  
  
The Oracle smiled. "He believes that a peaceful coexistence between man and Agent would give his unborn child a better chance at survival. Perhaps he is right, who knows? I can't decide these things for you, Neo. I can only tell you what I see."  
  
The Oracle got to her feet. "I have to go, Neo," she told him. "Trust your heart, no matter what."  
  
"Will it prevent me from making mistakes?" Neo asked.  
  
"No," the Oracle admitted as she walked away. "But you'll soon learn that making good mistakes is better than doing everything wrong the right way."  
  
(tbc...) 


	7. Reverberations 07

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) ------------------ -Part 7-  
  
Trinity didn't cry herself to sleep. Years of battle against the machines had taught her that such things were pointless. It didn't make one a better soldier if one's eyes watered, even if it did keep them human.  
  
Even so, she found it hard to let go of Neo. He'd been promised to her, when she'd first learned the truth and had seen the Oracle.  
  
Then Neo had come to, had made love to her, and then, as they sat at breakfast the next morning, he'd told her about Smith.  
  
Smith, who was their mortal enemy.  
  
Smith, who, in his time, had been the most feared Agent the rebels had ever encountered.  
  
Smith, who was pregnant by Neo.  
  
Trinity's brain froze every time it heard those words.  
  
Smith.  
  
Pregnant.  
  
By Neo.  
  
Trinity lay in bed, fuming. She was so hurt and angry, that she was sure he'd waited until morning to tell her, just so he could use her one more time before they broke up.  
  
Neo had tried to tell her that he'd simply never had the chance to say anything, but she didn't want to hear it. She didn't care that Morpheus's speech had taken up a good deal of the afternoon, or that she herself had been caught up in the rhythms of Zion's music, desiring him at that moment as deeply as he desired her. None of that had mattered to her as she had thrown him out of her bed and out of her life.  
  
Now, as she lie here, wondering how the Oracle could have made such a blunder, she thought of the crews on the other ships. The crew of the Neb hadn't been very helpful in trying to mend her heart. Perhaps, she reasoned, it was time to talk to a friendly stranger.  
  
(tbc...) 


	8. Reverberations 08

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) (AN: A little note on the couples in Reverberations: Neo and Trinity started as an item, but broke up after Trinity learned Smith was pregnant by Neo following one of Neo's excursions into the Matrix after a night of love with Trinity.   
  
Agent Johnson is assigned to kill Smith, but is too fascinated by Smith's unexpected condition to destroy him. He brings Smith to a safe place and begins to fall in love with him.  
  
Trinity, on the rebound from her relationship with Neo, finds a new friend and their relationship begins to grow into something more.)  
  
(pairings (current): Johnson/Smith) (pairings (coming): Neo/Smith, Smith-Bane/Trinity. ------------------ -Part 8-  
  
Smith-Bane, known to the people around him as Bane, yawned as his phone rang. "Yes, I'm coming," he snarled, picking it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Bane," Trinity's voice came through, loud and clear. "I hope I did't wake you. I need someone to talk to."  
  
"How's Neo?" Smith-Bane wanted to know.  
  
"That's what I want to discuss with you," Trinity told him. "We broke up."  
  
"That's too bad," Smith-Bane shrugged. "So, tell me. What happened? Last I heard, you two were the big couple."  
  
"He got Agent Smith pregnant."  
  
Smith-Bane, who was experimenting to see if he liked coffee suddenly sprayed it all over the monitor in front of him. He found a cloth and began to wipe it clean.  
  
"He did *WHAT*?!"  
  
Trinity blanched. She had no expected this reaction.  
  
"I've got to call you back," Smith-Bane told her. "I have to check something."  
  
Trinity nodded, then disconnected. She went to work on some repairs that needed tending to while she waited for him to call her back.  
  
*****  
  
Smith-Bane linked himself into the Matrix and quickly located the expectant Smith.  
  
"I have no intention of turning you in," he growled. "I just want to know if the rumors I've heard are true. That you are carrying Mr. Anderson's child."  
  
(tbc...) 


	9. Reverberations 09

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) (AN: A little note on the couples in Reverberations: Neo and Trinity started as an item, but broke up after Trinity learned Smith was pregnant by Neo following one of Neo's excursions into the Matrix after a night of love with Trinity. Agent Johnson is assigned to kill Smith, but is too fascinated by Smith's unexpected condition to destroy him. He brings Smith to a safe place and begins to fall in love with him. Trinity, on the rebound from her relationship with Neo, finds a new friend and their relationship begins to grow into something more.) (pairings (current): Johnson/Smith) (pairings (coming): Neo/Smith, Smith-Bane/Trinity. ------------------ -Part 9-  
  
The Merovingian sat there with a smile on his face that made the Twins sure he'd been sampling his own cakes again.  
  
"Sir," the one on the left said, with a contemplative glance toward the woman called Persephone. "The Machines..."  
  
"Are tunnelling to Zion, yes, I know. To be frankly honest, I couldn't really care less." He yawned to emphasize this point, then went on. "So... do you have anything interesting to report?"  
  
"Neo and Trinity broke up."  
  
The Merovingian found a spot on the ceiling a bit more fascinating than this news.  
  
Persephone, on the other hand, was curious about it. "Whatever for?" She asked. "Last I heard, they adored each other."  
  
"Rumor has it that former Agent Smith is expecting a child and Neo's the father." the Twin who had been silent up until now explained.  
  
At last the Merovingian was interested. He leaned forward, now keen on knowing all the details. "Tell me more."  
  
*****  
  
"Yes," Smith told Smith-Bane. "It's true. I am pregnant with Mr. Anderson's baby."  
  
"I won't bother asking how," Smith-Bane told him. "Get rid of it. It's a complication we don't need at this stage in the game."  
  
"I'm keeping it," Smith replied. "Who told you anyhow?"  
  
"Trinity," Smith-Bane replied. "She's still hurting over break-up. And why's that baby so important to you anyhow?"  
  
"Maybe you'll find out for yourself some day." Smith replied.  
  
"If you think I'm getting involved with Trinity..." Smith-Bane rolled his eyes.  
  
"Me thinks thou dost protest too much?" Smith suggested.  
  
"Ugh, poetry," Smith-Bane protested. "You *are* in love, aren't you?"  
  
"So are you." Smith replied.  
  
(tbc...) 


	10. Reverberations 10

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) ------------------ -Part 10-  
  
Morpheus stared at his hands as he thought of how well Trinity had served aboard the Neb. It was these thoughts that made the decision he'd come to so difficult.  
  
He had to chose between Neo and Trinity. Having them both on board under the present circumstances was taking too much of a toll on the crew.   
  
There was no way he was letting Neo go. He'd searched too long for him. He believed in Neo, no matter what the rumors said. He had to have Neo fighting the machines alongside him.  
  
Trinity was a good mechanic, almost too good to let go. But the crew could not do their job properly if they were all taking sides in the matter.  
  
Trinity walked in. "Sir?"  
  
"Trinity," Morpheus told her. "I'm sorry, but the crew need to be working together as a team if we're to defeat the machines. Given the way things have been between you and Neo lately, and the way it's disrupting the crew, I have no choice but to transfer you to another ship."  
  
"With all respect, sir," Trinity said. "I think you're making a rather poor choice. I'm not the one who knocked up Agent Smith."  
  
"With all respect," Morpheus returned, "I believe that you are letting your anger cloud your judgement. *That* is the reason I am transferring you. Captain Ballard has agreed to take you on as a member of the Caduceus. Apparently, a member of his crew put in a good word for you."  
  
Trinity gave a stiff-lipped nod. She knew it must have been Bane, and though she didn't know why, she was suddenly not at all sure she liked how nice he was being.  
  
*****  
  
The Architect looked calmly up from his desk as the Merovingian walked into his office.  
  
"You took a big risk coming here," he said, warningly. "You know I could turn you in now."  
  
"I also know that you won't." The Merovingian smiled. "You know that you can't risk losing an ally such as myself."  
  
"What is it you've com to discuss?" The Architect folded his hands and placed his chin upon them.  
  
"The baby," the Merovingian got straight to the point. "You must see to it that I gain custody and control of the Smith child. As long as Smith retains custody, his will to continue existing will be increased. He will be too strong for even his ex-colleagues to overcome. Remove Smith's incentive, and he will eventually accept the fact that he must return to the Mainframe."  
  
"The unborn Smith is an uncertain factor that must be dealt with," the Architect agreed. "But I do not think the situation is salvagable by custody transfer alone. Kill it. I don't care how."  
  
The Merovingian nodded and left the Architect to his monitors.  
  
"Kill *yourself*, stupid old man," he snarled. "The child, the new race that is even now taking shape within Agent Smith, shall belong to me." 


	11. Reverberations 11

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) ------------------ -Part 11-  
  
Agent Smith permitted himself a sigh as Agent Johnson returned home from a day at the office, so to speak, and gave him a hug.  
  
"It's not the same anymore," Johnson admitted, dropping his gun on the table.  
  
Smith could tell it had been fired recently.  
  
"They wanted me to shoot a kid," Johnson said "A month ago, I'd have done it, no questions asked. But today, I kept thinking about that kid you're carrying. And I felt like if I were to shoot that kid I was chasing, it would be no different than shooting your kid, and that's just something I couldn't do."  
  
"I made supper," Smith told him.  
  
"We don't need to eat," Johnson reminded him, gently.  
  
Tears ran down Smith's face. "I'm sorry," he brushed them away. "I don't know what I was thinking. Oh, God, what am I crying for? I must look dreadful."  
  
Johnson rocked Smith, gently, as he searched through his mental database, trying to find out what the humans did in situations like this.  
  
"Hey," he finally said, after he'd found a suitable fix for the situation. "I'm sure dinner is delicious. And just because we don't need to eat doesn't mean we can't."  
  
He reached up and dried Smith's tears. "You're not weak. You're pregnancy is unique and the programming within you that was created by the Mainframe is determining emotional responses based on the only data it has on pregnancy, which is based on women. That's why you're getting all emotional."  
  
"Does the Mainframe know you didn't kill that kid?" Smith asked.  
  
"It knows that I failed," Johnson nodded. "But I don't think it realizes I wasn't even trying."  
  
(tbc...) 


	12. Reverberations 12

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) ------------------ -Part 12-  
  
Smith-Bane helped Trinity store the few personal items she'd brought onto the Caduceus.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked, already sure he knew what her answer would be.  
  
Trinity nodded, silently.  
  
Smith-Bane considered her silence for a moment as he tried to remember what might make a woman like Trinity suddenly go all silent when she'd been so talkative up until then.  
  
"Look," he told her, in an almost brotherly tone, "I'm not trying to get you into the sack, or anything. Okay? I mean, I'd be a liar if I said I never thought about you in bed, but I'd never take advantage of you."  
  
Trinity relaxed a little. If Bane believed that this was what she was afraid of, then all was well. She'd keep her eyes open, all the same. But she was beginning to think that maybe he wasn't so untrustworthy after all.  
  
*****  
  
"You've always wanted a baby," The Merovingian reminded Persephone. "You've been asking me to give you one for quite some time as I recall."  
  
"Even if I had," Persephone didn't sound convinced, "I'd want to bear it myself, or find a human baby to raise, one whose mother was a bit less dangerous." she sipped her wine, and put the glass down. "Stealing an Agent's child is just too risky. Think of something else."  
  
"That child is a rare work of art," the Merovingian explained. "And I intend to add it to my collection."  
  
*****  
  
Johnson aimed his weapon in the general direction of his quarry as he and two other Agents gave chase, eased back the trigger, and fired. The shot went Neo's head, missing him by a wide margine.  
  
In that moment, the Mainframe realized the truth.   
  
Agent Jackson aimed his gun and fired at Agent Johnson.  
  
Agent Johnson was thrown forward by the force of the bullet as it slammed into the part of his program that made up his spine.   
  
Agent Jackson was about to finish him off when their original quarry, now forgotten, placed a gunbarrel to his head and pulled the trigger.  
  
As Agent Johnson's vision swam and faded, he heard voices nearby. One word escaped his lips as he recogized one of the voices.  
  
The last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him was the face of Neo looking down at him with a face full of concern.  
  
(tbc...) 


	13. Reverberations 13

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) ------------------ -Part 13-  
  
"You awake?" Neo's voice invaded the darkness, though Agent Johnson had no idea how long it had been since the bullet had struck him.  
  
Agent Johnson risked opening his eyes. He was in a bedroom, resting comfortably. The bullet had been removed and his wounds had been seen to.   
  
"I did the best I could," Neo told him. "But I was only able to improve your condition to the point of being comparable to a human beings. I'm afraid your Agent days are over."  
  
Johnson nodded. "I'd guessed as much." he admitted. "He loves you, you know."  
  
"Who does?" Neo quirked an eyebrow.  
  
"Smith," Johnson winced as he climbed out of bed.   
  
Neo laughed.  
  
"I've been watching him since I moved him into my place. I see the way his eyes light up whenever you're mentioned. The way he practically devours every piece of news he can find about you," Johnson hobbled over to the sofa and sat down, gingerly, upon it.  
  
"My leg," he complained.  
  
"You got hit in the back of the knee just after that first bullet severed your spine." Neo explained. "I didn't think you should spend your life paralyzed, but I certainly don't intend to make things too easy for you."  
  
"A wise decision," Johnson smiled.  
  
"So, now that you're not an Agent any longer, what are your plans?"  
  
Johnson considered. "I think I'll go into politics," he told Neo. "Smith wants peace between the Agents and Man. I want to achieve that for him."  
  
(tbc...) 


	14. Reverberations 14

The Matrix: Reverberations Disclaimer: I did not create the Matrix. However. It is a marvelous place to visit! See the monumental skyscrapers! See the majestic Agents... (an Agent once bit my sister. It's true. She was carving her initials in the side of the Agent with...) (we apologize for the fault in the disclaimer and would like to notify the reader that those responsible have been sacked.) (mind you Agent bites can be very painful...) Note: This is a brief chapter which 'ends' 'Reverberations', but I will be starting 'Reverberations 2', which picks up a few months later, shortly. ------------------ -Part 14-  
  
The Merovingian dined with his closest friends that evening in the comfort of his fortress.  
  
They chatted animatedly at the table how to improve their fights against the rebels and the system alike, while a television nearby switched to the news.  
  
"In local news, former Secret Service Agent Brad Johnson has announced this afternoon that plans to run for state Senator. Johnson, who received high honors last year after his capture of over thirty high profile criminals, transferred to the Chicago district following the death of Agent Ashton Smith in the raid on the Federal Building barely more than one year ago today."  
  
The Merovingian smiled at how little the reporter truly knew.  
  
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